The Five Scarves - Dragonkin Return Part 1
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 1 of 3, Part 1 of 5) It's just another day in Jade Creek; Maria, Danny, and Xander are enjoying a quiet day, relaxing at their lakeside home. However, the arrival of a young hedgehog seeking a safe refuge from the trio of mercenary bikers chasing her down raises an interesting question: who hired them, and why?
1. Chapter 1

On the shore of the lake in the middle of Jade Creek, an olive-green lynx sits on the sand, the water gently lapping at her bare feet. The day isn't particularly sunny; there's considerable cloud cover, and the sun is struggling to pierce through the veil. But the gentle breeze is warm, and the faint rustle of the leaves in the trees serves as the backing for a musical medley of songbirds. The lynx is unable to resist singing along with the birds; her joyous ditty is a little out of tune, but otherwise pleasant to listen to. As she sings, she whittles a thick section of a fallen branch with her tanto, carving an increasingly intricate design into the wood.

It's been four weeks since Maria and her four friends triumphed over Captain Aquila Kawaguchi; as she replays the experience in her mind, her song diminishes, and she slows her whittling. Analysing the incomplete carving, she sighs deeply, discarding the wood to one side, tanto to the other; with a deep breath, she flops onto her back, staring at the drifting clouds.

"Maria?" a voice calls from the nearby house. "You out there?"

"Yeah," Maria responds, her tone melancholic.

"You OK?"

"Yeah." Maria's ears twitch as she hears footsteps approach; an ochre badger sits alongside the lynx.

"Thinking about them again?" Danny asks.

"No," Maria lies. "Yes," she corrects quietly a moment later.

"You know you can never go back, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Maria sighs again. "But seeing how happy Hanna was when she was reunited with _her_ parents…"

"Her situation is very different to yours."

"I know."

"But it doesn't stop you wondering…"

"Yeah…"

The pair shares a few moments of silent reflection.

"I'm hungry," Maria declares suddenly.

"Well, it is lunchtime," Danny muses. "That's why I was coming to find you actually."

Maria sits bolt upright. "Is Xander making it?"

"His cooking's not _that_ bad, is it?" Danny chuckles. "Anyway, not to worry; it's just sandwiches."

"Ah good!"

The pair stands, Maria reclaiming her tanto and her shoes; they make their way back to the house.

"Not keeping your carving?" Danny asks.

"Huh? Oh!" Maria dashes back to the shore to reclaim the carving; as she rejoins Danny, she sees someone approaching in the distance. "Who's that?" she asks, pointing towards the newcomer.

"Who's who?" Danny asks, turning to look where Maria is pointing; he sees the panicked hedgehog sprinting towards them at top speed. "What on Avalice…"

The hedgehog almost sprints right past the duo; at the last moment, she slides to a halt so quickly she tumbles to the ground. Danny and Maria dash to the hedgehog's aid, Maria dropping everything she's carrying.

"Hide me!" the hedgehog pleads, desperation in her eyes, as the duo pick her up. "Please!"


	2. Chapter 2

Danny and Maria waste no time in getting the petrified hedgehog into the house; it takes a few moments, but eventually they get her semi-calm and comfortable in the chair. But before they can begin to find out why she's running, Maria picks up the sound of engines approaching.

"Danny, we got company," she informs.

"Xander!" Danny calls. "Forget lunch; tool up and meet us outside!" Turning to the hedgehog, he calmly assures "We'll get rid of them, no problem."

" _Sally Flynn! We know you're around here!_ " comes a gruff, aggressive call from outside.

"Who's Sally Flynn?" Xander asks as he enters the den from the kitchen; he sees a brief flash of purple ducking behind the chair. "And who's that hiding behind the chair?"

"Someone who needs our protection," Danny answers. "Now let's get out there."

Outside, the trio of Scarves come face to face with three masked strangers on powerful bikes; their outfits hide all traces of their species.

"Hand over the hedgehog!" the leader demands; he was the same who called out Sally's name.

"What hedgehog?" Danny asks calmly.

"Don't play dumb!" the leader spits. "We know she came this way."

"Just us three here," Danny assures. "And we'd appreciate it greatly if you'd leave us to enjoy the rest of the day in peace."

"We ain't leaving without the girl!" the leader snaps; with a signal, he and his companions charge directly at the Scarves. Danny swiftly unsheathes his hanbo and knocks a biker off his steed with one smooth move; the bike continues rider-less into the water. Maria draws her ninjato, raking the tip down the side of the second bike, slicing through an assortment of cables and tubes; the rider is barely able to get his leg out the way of the blade. Xander adopts a more direct approach; he catches the charging bike, sliding back a few feet, before lifting it in the air by the front fork; with a heave, he hurls the bike, biker still mounted, ten feet backwards.

"Like I said," Danny states forcefully. "We'd appreciate it greatly if you'd leave us to enjoy the rest of the day in peace."

With all three bikes disabled, the strangers are forced into hand-to-hand combat; unfortunately for them, they were never issued with weapons. Despite this, they charge the Scarves once more. Danny dispatches his foe with a well-timed hanbo sweep of the legs; as his victim lands flat on his face, Danny follows up with a sharp blow to the back of the neck, sufficient to momentarily paralyse the victim. Maria's opponent fares worse; the lynx's ninjato cuts deep into her victim's arm. And Xander's opponent is met with a tonfa directly in the stomach.

"As you may have guessed, I don't like to repeat myself," Danny barks. "Now, get out of here before we make your stay _permanent_ ," he finishes with a growl.

"You'll regret helping that bitch," the leader growls back, his gashed arm bleeding badly. "Boys, we're done here." The three strangers slink away into the distance; the Scarves watch them go.

"Such rudeness!" Maria exclaims once the interlopers are out of earshot. "He made my blade all icky!"

"But on the bright side, you made quite a mess of his arm," Danny complements, sighing with relief.

"Who were they?" Xander asks.

"No idea," Danny replies. "But I think I know who you can ask…"

"Who?" Xander inquires further.

Danny and Maria both fix Xander with a 'did you really just ask that?' expression.

"What did I say?" Xander asks, puzzled.


	3. Chapter 3

Back inside, Maria departs to her room to clean her ninjato, and Xander returns to the kitchen to finish preparing lunch; Danny remains in the den, waiting for Sally to reappear.

"Are they gone?" Her timid voice reveals she's still behind the chair.

"They're gone," Danny assures. "And they won't be coming back in a hurry."

"Thank the Ancients!" Sally exclaims, emerging from behind the chair. She darts over to Danny, embracing him in a warm hug; Danny, a little taken aback, returns the hug a moment later.

After a minute, Sally breaks the hug, a little embarrassed. "Sorry," she blushes. "I… erm… that is…"

"Don't worry about it," Danny winks. "As it turns out, you're just in time for lunch; I bet you're hungry."

* * *

With lunch over, and Sally fully calmed down and, if not relaxed, then at least co-operative, Danny chooses to inquire about the biker trio.

"I guess I do owe you an explanation," Sally sighs.

"It'll be nice to know how much trouble we're in, at least," Danny quips.

The joke doesn't hit home as intended, but Sally shrugs it off anyway. "Quite a lot, I'm afraid; they're lackeys of the organisation that's been hunting me down for the last week. They want something that I have, but if they get their hands on them…" Sally shivers at a thought she's not ready to share. "They're not going to stop until they get them… they even…" Sally falters; she begins to weep. "They ransacked my village… took me and my father as captives…" Sally begins crying freely. "My father… he… he helped me escape… but he… he didn't… didn't make it…"

"Our deepest condolences," Danny offers; Maria weeps slightly in sympathy. "If you need a moment, just say, and we'll-"

"Thanks… but no… no need," Sally replies. "I can… can mourn later when… when all this is over…" She takes a few deep breaths to calm down, then continues. "The things that I have… My father and I were studying them under the orders of the Magister of Shang Tu." Maria, Danny, and Xander exchange looks of concern. "Our work was conducted deep within the Shang Tu Palace, under what I initially thought was too much security… until we started to unlock their secrets.

"They really are amazing feats of engineering, those five crystals-"

" _Crystals?_ " Maria, Danny, and Xander chorus in surprise.

"You… know about them?" Sally asks, confused.

"Unfortunately, yes," Danny confirms.

"The emerald was so pretty and shiny," Maria reflects. "I wanted to keep it and play with it…"

"But you know why we couldn't," Danny reminds.

"Yeah, I know," Maria sighs. "Still, a girl can dream…"

"How…?" Sally starts.

"Let's just say we're the ones who collected them and delivered them to the Magister," Danny replies; his expression darkens suddenly. "You don't have one with you, do you?"

"No!" Sally exclaims, her tone one of hurt. "I would _never_ betray the Magister's trust!"

"Easy," Danny assures, his expression soft once more. "We never said you would. But that does raise the question of what you _do_ have."

"Only four people have access to the crystals," Sally explains. "The Magister and General Gong are safe from _them_ , and my father is… which leaves just one person."

"I see," Danny concludes. "Who's 'them'?"

"The _Hisui-teikei_ ," Sally answers. "More commonly known as the Jade Alliance."


	4. Chapter 4

Late evening, and while the Scarves talk in the den, Sally, exhausted from the day's stresses, had elected to retire early. A sensitive ear may just be able to pick up a light chirping, a sign that she is having a pleasant dream; occasionally, Maria's ear twitches as she picks up the sound.

"So, what are we going to do?" Xander asks.

"I don't know," Danny replies.

"We have to do _something!_ " Maria interjects. "We can't just… not do something!"

"At the very least, we have to inform the Magister," Danny agrees.

"But will he believe us?" Xander counters.

"He'll believe Sally," Danny assures. "But I'm not sure she-"

Suddenly, Maria giggles; when the boys turn to her, she shrinks, embarrassed. "Sally makes the cutest noises while she sleeps," she explains. "Such funny little chirping!"

"You shouldn't really be listening to her sleep," Danny remarks with an amused smile.

"I can't help it!" Maria smiles back. "It's my big ears!"

"I'm not sure Sally will want to risk the journey to Shang Tu; the three of us may not be sufficient protection," Danny continues. "Especially since we don't really know what we're up against with this… Jade Alliance. If they're anything like the Scarves…"

* * *

Meanwhile, the three bikers finally arrive back at their camp; the leader's arm has been thoroughly bandaged, and is resting in a makeshift sling. Without hesitation, they head to the command tent.

"You're late," the commander hisses as the bikers enter the tent, his accent sibilant; the commander has his back turned.

"We encountered some… unexpected resistance," the lead biker explains.

"And I take it from the lack of screaming that you also failed to apprehend the prisoner," the commander continues.

"Correct, commander."

"You know how well failure is tolerated by the captain. Answer one question: who was this 'resistance'?"

"We do not know."

"Surely you can describe them? You have eyes."

"There were three, sir: a badger, a wolf, and a lynx. They were armed, and clearly highly-trained fighters."

"Describe the weapons."

"A hanbo, a ninjato, and a pair of tonfa."

"Were they wearing scarves?"

"Yes."

"Colour?"

"Red."

"Hm." The commander takes a moment of silence; a sensitive ear can pick up a faint clicking as he sends a message to the captain. A minute later, the device beeps with a reply.

"It seems the captain has already met them," the commander reveals. "With the Red Scarves now involved, that makes our mission a little trickier. We cannot be hasty." A moment's pause. "Dismissed."

The bikers leave in silence.

"Do not underestimate these Scarves, commander," the captain advises over the radio.

"I've tangled with their like before," the commander assures.

"Yes, and you had your tail handed to you by a teenage girl," the captain reminds. "Four times."

"She had help."

"From two children."

"And a Chaser."

"Who you bested. Twice."

"Your point?"

"I had those Scarves enslaved to my every whim, yet they still prevailed. Do not underestimate them. And be _especially_ wary of the vixen; she's the most dangerous of them all."


	5. Chapter 5

Morning, and it's raining heavily in Jade Creek. Maria kneels on a stool by the window, looking out rather forlornly at the foul weather; Danny is on the sofa, working on his hanbo, and Sally is in the chair, eating breakfast.

"It won't stop any quicker because you're staring at it," Danny quips, taking a brief respite from maintaining his hanbo.

"Why did we set up here anyway?" Maria sighs. "It rains too often, and I don't like being wet."

"Don't you spend half your leisure time with your feet in the lake?" Danny teases.

"Well, yeah, I do," Maria agrees, clambering off the stool to join Danny on the sofa.

"And you like to swim too."

Maria throws a cushion at Danny. "You're almost as bad as the meanie!" she chuckles.

"The Jade Alliance is hunting me down, and my protectors are throwing the upholstery around," Sally sighs in mock exasperation.

"On that subject," Danny replies. "We should alert the Magister that someone is after the Elemental Crystals."

"Agreed, but… " Sally begins, wearing a mixture of fear and dread.

"I understand your reluctance, but we need to take you to Shang Tu for two reasons: first, the Magister will believe you, and second, you'll be under much better protection in the Royal Palace."

"But what if the Jades come for me again?" Sally asks, her voice shaking slightly.

"We can outrun them."

"That won't help if they ambush us… "

"Agreed," Danny sighs; a second later, a thought occurs. "Excuse me a moment." Danny gets up and heads over to the phone.

"Who's he calling?" Sally asks Maria.

"Some friends that can help us out," Maria smiles.

"Are they close by?"

"Not really; they live in Rage Ravine. But they have fast vehicles too."

At this point, Xander enters the den from outside. "The trikes are prepped; Sally, you'll be riding with Maria."

"I've never ridden a trike before," Sally admits.

"It's easy-peasy!" Maria chirps. "Besides, all you have to do is hold on; I'm doing the tricky stuff!"

Danny hangs up and re-joins the group. "Backup has been arranged; they'll meet us en route."


	6. Chapter 6

Later that morning, with the rain mercifully lightening, Danny, Maria, and Xander set off for Shang Tu, Sally riding pillion with Maria. Initially, their journey is uneventful; about halfway though, they come up to a narrow valley. Slowing at the start of the valley, Danny and Xander fall into flank positions either side of Maria and Sally; they cruise through the valley at half-speed.

Sally dares to look back over her shoulder. "We're being followed!" she cries.

"For the last five minutes," Danny confirms. "We're being funnelled into a trap."

"A _trap?_ " Sally exclaims. "Then turn around! Get us out of here!"

"And miss all the fun?" Maria counters.

Up ahead, a blockade of five bikes confirms Danny's deduction; the Scarves slow to a halt a safe distance away.

"You're surrounded!" the leader of the blockade declares. "Give us the girl!"

"I think… no," Danny answers defiantly.

"Then you leave us no choice," the leader grins. "Boys? At-"

A shuriken whistles through the air, striking its target before the command is completed.

" _What was that?_ " Sally cries in fear.

"Backup," Maria grins wickedly in response. "Now stay put."

As the bikers panic, Danny and Xander leap into action, making for the four remaining in the blockade. Unlike the previous day, these bikers are armed; each carries a pair of kama. Danny is the first to engage; holding his hanbo with both hands in the middle, he blocks the bikers' lunges with ease, though initially he struggles to counter-attack effectively. Xander engages next. Using his strength advantage, he quickly disarms his first foe; however, his second foe prevents him from moving in for the deciding blow. Before long however, both Danny and Xander prevail; after disarming their opponents, they lay them unconscious.

As they fight, Maria also moves; she sprints the opposite way, ninjato and tanto drawn, ready to intercept the three bikers that had been following them. Without warning, someone new swoops over Maria's head, heading straight for the bikers; the new arrival slams into the lead of the trio, brutally dumping him on the ground before landing in a graceful roll. Drawing nunchaku, Hanna charges back towards the felled biker to finish the job.

Maria then engages the remaining two bikers; the clash of blade against blade rings down the valley. At first, it looks like she'll be overwhelmed; seconds later, Hanna, having made sure her first victim is down for the count, pounces in to assist, wrapping a nunchaku round the neck of one of Maria's opponents. As she pulls tight, the biker drops his kama in order to grapple at the nunchaku. But his efforts are futile; after a few moments, he loses consciousness, and collapses, defeated.

"Big bad meanie, stealing my kills again!" Maria teases as she dispatches her opponent; he collapses, bleeding badly from a deep gash in his side.

"Tiny little kitty, always getting into trouble!" Hanna teases back. "And you know I don't kill anymore," she clarifies in a serious tone.

"I know. New kit?" Maria asks, wiping her tanto clean on the stabbed biker's cloak.

"A wingsuit!" Hanna chirps, twirling to give Maria a good view of her new apparel. "Rob designed it, I made it. Now I'm a _flying_ fox!"

"You're batty!" Maria retorts, grinning widely.

Hanna, chuckling in amusement, unclips a walkie-talkie from her belt. "All clear."

"Ten-four," Rob replies; a minute later, he swoops down to join the others.

"You _both_ have wingsuits?" Maria exclaims jealously.

"That sounds like an order for three more," Rob winks to Hanna.

" _You'll make one for me?_ " Maria asks Hanna, almost exploding with excitement.

"Maybe…" Hanna teases.

"Humph!" Maria retorts, playing her mock disappointment so over the top both Hanna and Rob can't help but laugh.

Some of the bikers begin to stir.

"…and that's our cue to leave," Danny declares.

Within seconds, Maria is back on her trike, blades sheathed; Hanna joins Danny on his, and Rob pairs up with Xander.

"That was…" Sally begins, dumbstruck at the violence she just witnessed.

"What we're trained for," Maria finishes.

Together, the trikes speed off into the distance.


	7. Chapter 7

After a brief detour to retrieve Hanna and Rob's ATVs, the group arrives at Shang Tu under bright sunshine; they waste no time, and make directly for the Royal Palace. Parking outside, they kill the engines and dismount; Hanna and Rob quickly remove their wingsuits, revealing their normal clothing underneath.

"Phew!" Hanna pants. "By the Ancients, that thing is _hot!_ "

Rob gives himself a quick sniff; he's displeased with the result. "I need a shower…"

"We can worry about that later," Danny insists. "We're here to help Sally, remember?"

"Of course," Hanna agrees.

The group makes their way into the reception hall of the Palace; Sally, now feeling a lot safer, takes the lead, walking right up to the guards at the bottom of a long spiral flight of stairs. "I must speak with the Magister," she declares; the guards part to let her through, blocking the way when the Scarves try to follow. "They're with me," Sally informs.

"They're Red Scarves," one of the guards argues. "They're not permit-"

"Without them, I'd be a prisoner, or dead," Sally retorts. "Now, let them through."

"But-"

"The Magister won't be happy you're impeding one of his top engineers…"

The guards part to let the Scarves through.

* * *

Outside the throne room, Sally pauses and turns to the Scarves.

"Thank you all," she says. "Thank you for protecting me, and for getting me here safely. If there's anything I can do to repay you, please, don't hesitate to ask; you know where to find me."

"It's our pleasure," Danny assures.

"We know how dangerous those Crystals can be," Hanna explains. "Especially me…" she adds reservedly. Rob places a hand on Hanna's shoulder; Hanna puts one of her own on top.

"I… I won't pry," Sally stammers, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

"The Fire Crystal turned me into an amoral monster," Hanna explains anyway. "Luckily, Rob was able to stop me… well, not _quite_ before it was too late…"

"Oh… erm… well… anyway, I'd… better go tell the Magister about… stuff," Sally mutters, clearly very uncomfortable now.

"Sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Hanna apologises. "I wouldn't have explained if I didn't want to."

"It's cool, just… wasn't expecting it," Sally explains, relaxing. "And thank you all again."

Once Sally has entered the throne room and the doors have closed, the Scarves find themselves a little unsure of what to do.

"I'm _starving!_ " Maria declares suddenly.

"I guess it is lunchtime," Danny muses.

"There's a café just down the road," Xander offers.

"Works for me," Hanna agrees.

"Generic additional agreement," Rob quips.


	8. Chapter 8

At the café, sat around an outside table, Maria, Danny, and Xander have just finished bringing Hanna and Rob up to date over lunch, explaining who Sally is, who's hunting her, and why they brought her to Shang Tu.

"The Jade Alliance?" Rob asks.

"That's what she called them," Danny explains.

"Why are they after the Crystals?" Hanna continues; a moment later she answers her own question with "Oh yeah, superpowers."

"And shiny," Maria adds.

"Well, it's out of our hands now," Danny continues. "The Crystals are still safe, and the only three people that can get to them are equally safe in the palace."

"Er, guys, one of the palace guards is coming this way," Xander warns.

"But we haven't done anything wrong!" Maria protests. "Not today, anyway!"

The guard approaches the table. "Hanna Skarlett, Rob Still, Maria Shanmao, Danny Brock, and Xander Lykos?" she inquires.

"Five from five," Rob replies, trying a little too hard to be casual. "What's up?"

"The Magister summons you," the guard explains.

"Why?" Rob inquires.

"You're not under arrest," the guard assures. "However, attendance _is_ mandatory."

The Scarves exchange nervous yet curious looks.

* * *

In the throne room, the five Scarves stand before the Magister; Sally is alongside the Shang Tu ruler.

"I am pleased you responded to my summons," the Magister informs.

"It is our honour," Hanna replies; all five bow in unison.

"I understand you are responsible for the safety of my trusted engineer," the Magister continues.

"Where the security of the Crystals is concerned, we, more than most, want to ensure that security is never compromised," Danny explains.

"For that I commend you," the Magister compliments. "The Red Scarves are not known for they honour and integrity; I am glad there are those in your ranks that defy that reputation."

"So why are we here?" Xander asks rather abruptly; the others shoot him a look of disapproval.

"Do not be so quick to judge your friend," the Magister answers. "His manner may be blunt, but he is right to ask." A moment's pause. "The threat of the Jade Alliance is not to be taken lightly. If they decide to make an attempt on the Elemental Crystals, then we need to make sure we are properly prepared to combat them. Normally, I would assign a squad from the Shang Tu army for such a task, but given the nature of what is at stake, I feel it's preferable on this occasion to hire those with specialist training in infiltration, subterfuge, and misdirection. Your experience of the Crystals also means you know what is at stake."

"Wait…" Rob begins. "You mean…"

"I wish to hire your services to uncover as much information as possible about the Jade Alliance, and if able, to neutralise any threat they may pose to Shang Tu, the Palace, and the Elemental Crystals," the Magister confirms. "I will of course make sure you are rewarded handsomely."

Dumbfounded, the Scarves don't say a word.

"I'm afraid I must insist on an answer," the Magister prompts.

"Huh?" Hanna asks. "Oh! Our apologies, Your Excellency; can you excuse us a moment?"

"Of course," the Magister answers.

The Scarves huddle.

"Do we accept?" Hanna asks.

"An exciting new mission where we get paid handsomely?" Rob inquires. "Well, you've already decided to take it on, which of course means I'll accept too."

"And there's no way you're leaving me behind!" Maria adds.

"Strength in numbers," Xander agrees.

"Five for five," Danny finishes.

The Scarves break their huddle.

"The 'Five Scarves' humbly accept your assignment, Your Excellency," Hanna informs; all five bow in unison once more. "And we shall endeavour to complete it to the best of our abilities."

* * *

"The 'Five Scarves'?" Rob inquires outside the throne room.

"Can you think of a better name?" Hanna counters playfully. "Because I sure can't."


End file.
